Gods' Loves Die Young
by Aisling-Siobhan
Summary: [Loki/Tony] Loki tries to warn Tony away, but Starks are nothing if not stubborn and self-assured. So he stays, and he pays the price for playing with fire.


I need to start coming up with some less depressing plots…

"**Gods' Loves****Die Young**"

**Disclaimer: ** The Avengers, Iron Man, Tony, Loki, etc belong to Marvel, Stan Lee, et co. I make no money from this and own nothing, don't sue.

**Summary: ** [Loki/Tony] Loki tries to warn Tony away, but Starks are nothing if not stubborn and self-assured. So he stays, and he pays the price for playing with fire.

**Warnings: ** Slash. Post Avengers. Loki/Tony. Character Death. Established relationship. S.S. Frostiron contest entry. (hint, go vote).

**Rating: ** NC-17.

**A/N**: The title and quote are from "Don't Lie", a song by Vampire Weekend. Written for **ssfrostiron****'s contest, voting begins July 15****th****. I was going to write it anyway, but a deadline gives me motivation lol. **

_XXX_

_"__I want 'em to know gods' loves die young, are you ready to go?__" _

**Words:** 1,500

**Chapter 1**

"It is not your place," Loki warned for the third time that same day.

He and Thor were dressed and ready to go, their armour gleaming and their capes falling straight and full to their ankles. Thor's helmet seemed heavy on his head, the God unable to raise his face fully to meet Tony's eyes and the mortal snorted at the look of guilt on his face. Thor was aware that they needed all the help they could get, though knew he should tell Tony no but he wouldn't because as much as he loved his mortal friends Asgard would always be his first priority.

Loki had no such problem. Asgard was not his home any longer, and though he had since set aside his hate and resentment for the place and his family, he was happier than he had ever been living with Tony in Tony's home, in _their_ home and so Tony had become his number one priority. His helm was in his hands and Loki's fingers gripped tightly to its edges, squeezing, to keep himself from reaching out to grab Tony instead. If he held on, Loki was afraid he'd never let go, the fear of loss too much to overcome in that moment that he thought it was better to go without completely than to risk touching his temptation even once.

"No," Loki repeated before Tony could say anything. Thor cast him a sad sideways glance, eyes flickering towards Tony and then Loki before he sighed. He looked like someone had just kicked his puppy, or like he was a puppy that had just been kicked and was trying to figure out why.

"Brother," Thor tried to say, voice soft and unsure. He had already faced Loki's wrath once earlier that morning for trying to convince him that the Avengers could help. Iron Man could help, for he was made of metal and not flesh and the Jötuns that had invaded Asgard could not freeze him. Tony had made sure that his suit could withstand the cold of space; surely it could stand up to some oversized Smurfs?

"NO!" Loki roared at Thor, whirling to point one finger angrily in his direction. He almost dropped his helm, but his free hand caught it by the horn and held fast, squeezing it as his chest heaved. Loki turned back to Tony, and his face was flushed from anger, frustration tightening his mouth, but his eyes were wide and bright and Tony knew then that Loki was more afraid than he was angry.

"This is a war for Gods, Anthony. Not mortals, not you. You will stay here, Thor and I will take Banner and Rogers," he said, for neither of them could be considered truly mortal. "And you will stay here, do you understand me?" Tony's eyes narrowed and Thor's expression tightened, but Loki was nothing if not determined to protect those he loved. "Beloved, please!" Loki added when Tony looked set to argue some more.

The sun had already started to set, the sky fading from blue and gold to red, dark clouds appearing to take the place of the setting sun. Tony glanced out of the window, taking in the sight and the storm clouds that were beginning to roll in as Thor's mood turned sourer and he remembered being younger, sitting one night with his mother, who told him that red skies were a sailor's delight, but those clouds were rather ominous and that much red spread across the sky made his heart beat faster, louder, until all he could hear was the blood rushing through his veins, heart pounding like a war drum. He missed Loki's goodbye, and the God sighed at his back thinking Tony was only angry with him, rather than lost in thought, so he and Thor left together. There was time later for Tony to forgive him, Loki thought.

Once they were gone, once he had come back to himself, Tony gritted his teeth, plans already forming in his mind's eye. "Jarvis," he asked glancing at the corner of the room where the camera was, "have they left yet?"

"Estimated time until departure is fifteen minutes, Sir." The A.I. responded immediately. There was a tinge of something like concern in his voice, but Tony brushed it off. Artificial intelligences didn't feel human emotion, not even ones made by Tony Stark; they could mimic it, they could repeat it, but not feel it. Jarvis was only following Loki's lead.

Fuck Loki, Tony thought spitefully as he set about suiting up.

"Time to rock and roll," he muttered to himself. He disappeared between one blink and the next, his suit, covered in the same material as the Helicarrier, turned itself invisible and Tony checked for his reflection in every available reflective surface between the Tower and New Mexico. There was none, and he allowed himself a rather loud chuckle as he flew through the skies unseen.

New Mexico was the same as it ever was. Nothing seemed to have changed since the last time Tony was out there, when Loki had asked him along for support when he went to apologise to Jane Foster, or the time before when Tony had been watching the Destroyer live up to its name after hacking into SHIELD's mainframe. The crop circle-esque design was still there, drawn into the dirt of the desert by magic, and the others stood inside of it waiting for the sky to open up and suck them through time-space. Tony snuck in alongside them, silent as the grave and unnoticed even by Loki's uncanny instincts.

Tony had often heard that he was too stubborn for his own good, mostly from Pepper. He would argue out of spite sometimes, but mostly because Pepper was gorgeous when she was angry. But right now, Tony had to absolutely agree with that prognosis, because he was stubborn and pig-headed and cocky, and he felt like he was invincible lately. Godly lover, super amazing suit of armour, great friends, even greater teammates, there was nothing he was missing, nothing left to be needed, and yeah he was human but he _felt_ like a God. And Loki was his God, so Loki's war was his war, and Tony was too determined to sit at home like a housewife and wait for the proverbial phone call to tell him Loki was either gone or injured.

If he couldn't fight, let's just say he couldn't keep up with the Jötuns, well at least invisible he'd be able to keep an eye on Loki's back for him. 'Cause fuck knows if the other Asgardians would even bother!

_XXX_

The battle had been long and it had been hard. Even the Hulk had found it difficult to get up and continue fighting at times, but they had managed to drive the invading army into a retreat. The Jötuns had run back to Jötunheimr with their heads bowed. Asgard had won.

Odin looked older than Loki could ever remember seeing him, weary and worn, his one eye closed and his jaw clenched but Loki ignored the other man, because he was Odin Warwolf and he lived for the battle. What did he have to look sorrowful for?

Frigga was shaking; half huddled on the ground, the edges of her dress smoking from a fire that still raged within the palace. "He saved me," she whispered as Loki came towards her. "I was trapped, I couldn't put out the flames and he saved me. I do not even know who he was." But Tony had known who she was when he flew passed the circular tower and saw her contemplating whether she should jump or burn to death. She was Loki's mother, so Tony had flown to her rescue and gotten them both knocked out of the sky by another giant's fist. Frigga landed on the ground, but Tony rocketed back into the burning tower and didn't come out again.

"Mother," Loki called, urgently, "who, Mother? Where is he?" There was terror in his voice, for it didn't take a genius to figure out which of them could fly and was cocky enough to come along to a war that was no place for him, brave and stupid and kind and had saved the only one remaining in Asgard that Loki claimed to love.

"Loki!" Thor called, before Frigga could respond. Loki turned, slowly, not really wanting to see: but there he was, Iron Man, cradled gently in Thor arms like a sleeping baby, his suit charred and blackened and his face blistered and burnt where his mask had fallen away. "They were using the Eternal Flame," Thor told him softly, and Loki knew then that no amount of healing would save his lover.

Loki took him carefully from Thor, sinking to his knees in the blood and dirt of the battlefield, and he held Anthony gently, whispering softly into his hair, as the mortal took his last shallow breathes, and died.

**The End**

/sobbing….


End file.
